Combination coin-bank.



PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905.

F. SMITH.

COMBINATION COIN BANK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 19, 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed December 19, 1904. Serial No. 237,409.

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Im provement in CombinationCoin-Banks, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention relates to small banks for containing coins, and inparticular to a form of bank of this kind controlled by acombination-lock.

Prominent objects of the invention are to provide a simple, inexpensive,and practical bank of this kind; to make the same portable, so that itcan be easily carried in the pocket; to provide an effective form ofcombination-lock; to simplify the construction and operation as much aspossible; to indicate the amount of money contained in the bank, and toprocure the foregoing results in a simple and expeditious manner.

The bank shown herein for carrying out my invention comprises acylindrical tube or barrel having a diameter substantially the diameterof the coins for which the bank is to serve, so that the tube or barrelcan accommodate any desired number of such coins placed one above theother. One end, which. will be called the upper end of the barrel, isprovided with a slot or opening by which the coins can be inserted oneby one. The other or lower end of the barrel is provided with acombination-lock, by which the lower end of the barrel is normallylocked in closed condition, but by means of which such barrel can beopened to permit withdrawal of the coins.

The bank shown herein is adapted to receive dimes, although of course byvarying the size of the tube or barrel any other kind of coin can beused.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a coin-bankembodying my present invention. Fig. 2 is 'a vertical section taken online 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3 3 in Fig.2, and Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are views of details of construction.

The bank which I show in the drawings for carrying out my inventioncomprises a tube or barrel 1, closed at its upper end, but open at itslower end. This barrel is of a size to accommodate coins ofpredetermined denomination one above the other. It is provided with aslot 2, through which such coins can be inserted one by one. A spring 3is conveniently provided above said slot to prevent the coins frompassing out of the slot after once inserted in the bank. of openings 4 4are provided along the side of the barrel, so as to indicate the extentto which the same is filled, and opposite these are figures indicatingthe value of the coins in the bank. The device shown being for dimes,the figures on the barrel run from $2.50 to $5.00, being the value ofthe dimes which fill the bank from the bottom up to the respective fiures.

The lower end of t e tube or barrel 1 is provided with lateralprojections 5 5, arranged in alinement with one another. A cup-shapeddevice or cap 6 is fitted on the lower end of the tube or barrel 1,being constructed with a tubular cylindrical portion 7, which closelyincloses the lower end portion of said barrel. This cylindrical portion7 is provided with a slot 8, running from one end to the other, whichslot is adapted to receive and accommodate the projections 5 5 on thebarrel 1 when the latter is inserted or introduced into the cap 6. Aseries of rings 9 9 are arranged outside of the cylindric portion 7,constructed with flanges 1O 10, each of which is provided with a seriesof grooves or indentations 11 11. The latter are of irregular shape,having reduced portions 12 12 at their ends nearest the periphery of theflanges 1O 10. Within the rings 9 9 are inner or supplementary rings 1313, which are split and have one of their split ends provided withprojections 14 14. These projections are adapted to fit into recesses 1111 in the rings 9 9 and to lie within the larger or mouth portions ofsaid recesses.

The rings 9 9, with their contained rings 13 13, are independentlyrotatable about the cylindric portion 7 of the cap 6, and when each oneis turned so as to bring the opening 15 of its inner ring 13 intoregister with the slot 8 of the cylinder 7 the corresponding projection5 on the barrel 1 can pass through said rings 9 and 13. Thus when all oft e rings 9 9 are turned to bring the openings 15 15 of their containedrings into register with the slot 8 all of the projections 5 5 can passthrough said rings and up along said slot, thereby permitting thewithdrawal of the tube or barrel 1 from the cap 6. Whenever any one ofsaid rings has its opening 15 A series out of register with said slot 8,the se aration of the barrel and cap is prevente and the two are lockedtogether. Thus to operate the combination and unlock the device, so asto permit Withdrawal of the money therefrom, it is necessary to turn therings 9 9 so as to bring the apertures of the rings 13 13 into properalinement with the slot 8. To such end the rings 9 9 are provided withsome form of indicating devices, such as the letters "A B C D, &c.(Shown in the drawings.) The rings 13 13 are arranged relatively to therings 9 9, so that by bringing predetermined letters into alinement inthe line shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 the combination will be operatedand the barrel 1 released. To change the combination, the rings 13 13are shifted relatively to the rings 9 9. It is understood that differentbanks put out will have different combinations by arranging the rings 1313 relatively to the letters on the rings 9 9. In the bank shown thecombination which will permit opening of the bank consists of theletters A M A S, beginning with the top ring and-reading down, Fig. 1.

A collar or retainer 16 is desirably fitted over the barrel 1, so as tocover the end of the tube 7.

It will be seen that the device is small and com act and is portable, sothat it can be eas' y carried in the pocket.

It will be understood that,changes and modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is' j p 1. A device of the class specified, comprising atube or barrel 1 for the closed end, and provided with a coin-slot 4,and also pro vided with a retainer 3 for preventing removal of saidcoins through the slot 2, the said barrel having an open end, and beingprovided. with projections 5, 5, a series of rings 9,9 inclosing thelower end of said barrel, and having recesses 11, 11 adapted to receivethe projections 5, 5, and formed with indentations 12, 12, split innerrings 13, 13 having projections adapted to fit into the indentations 12,12, and a cap 6 having a tubular portion 7 adapted to inclose the lowerend portion of the barrel 1, and having a slot 8 for accommodating theprojections 5, 5 on said barrel, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class specified, the combination with the barrel 1having projections 5, 5, of a series of rings 9, 9 having a series ofapertures 11, 11, adapted to receive the projections 5, 5 and formedwith recesses 12, 12 and split rings 13, 13 having projections 14, 14adapted to fit into the recesses 12, 12, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribemy name this 28th day ofNovember, A. D. 1904.

FRANK SMITH.

Witnesses:

G. V. DOMARUS, I. 0. LEE.

